«When the Calabash Breaks»
Tiran Willemse and Melika Ngombe Kolongo (Nkisi)

When the Calabash Breaks is a saying often used in African cultures.
The saying means: something important is lost.
Or an important person has died.
The play is about memories and community.
There is dancing and music.

Tiran Willemse is a South African dancer and choreographer based in Zurich. His performance practice carefully examines space, imagination, gesture and sound, and investigates how these elements relate to the construction of gender and memory. He won the Swiss Performance Art Award in 2023 and his works are shown in institutions like Theaterhaus Gessnerallee or ARSENIC - Centre d’arts scénique contemporain as well as festivals abroad like Santarcangelo Festival (blackmilk, 2023 / When the calabash breaks, 2025). His group piece SYNTHETIC/Artefact will be part of the season opening of Gessnerallee 2026/27.

Nkisi is the pseudonym of Melika Ngombe Kolongo, producer, live musician, DJ and curator. Her sound research investigates invisible forces through a captivating mix of African rhythms, European dance and synth melodies. She co-founded the NON WORLDWIDE collective and honed her style between London's Endless parties and NTS residencies. Her album 7 Directions and the EP The Dark Orchestra shaped a powerful and multifaceted sound aesthetic. Nkisi combines international live performances with an interdisciplinary practice that includes installations and performances.

City of Zurich Culture, Cultural Office of the Canton of Zurich, Pro Helvetia, Swiss Performers' Foundation SIS, Ernst Göhner Foundation

The programme focus ‘(Un)gentle Learning’ is supported by the Ernst Göhner Foundation.